“The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom;
all those who practice it have a good understanding.
His praise endures forever!”
– Psalm 111:10
There’s great value in education and learning. We’re made in God’s image and gifted with wonderful minds equipped to learn from academic study, reading, observation, experimentation, and electronic content. We should always seek to learn and develop our God-given minds.
However, true wisdom – living life skillfully and well for the purpose for which it’s been given – is always grounded in “the fear of the Lord.” It’s only when we have a proper awe toward God, His nature and His work, a humility before His majesty, a reverence for His holiness, and deep love for Him that we’re truly on the path to wisdom. All our other knowledge becomes dramatically more valuable and relevant when directed by wisdom and aligned toward God and His purpose. Our understanding deepens without limit when our knowledge and wisdom converge on the awesome reality of the Living God. Build your knowledge, but pursue wisdom — fear the Lord!